Although the price of gas at the pumps has eased significantly, thanks to the lowering of the price of crude in international markets, there is still much to be concerned about. For one, there is the global economic downturn that pretty soon we will all be feeling significantly. Now is the time to be saving money and for looking at ways to cut costs.

For most households who have more than one car, gasoline accounts for a large portion of the household budget. It therefore makes sense that if one can lower the consumption or improve gas mileage in their cars, there could be significant savings to be had.

Currently, there are many options available to increase fuel savings and gas mileage. If you are into alternative fuels, you can make your own bio diesel, or even modify your car to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas or (LPG), which burns more cleanly than regular fuels, and is much more earth friendly.

But if major savings is what you are after, there are two technologies that may give you the double take. One is available already, while the other is in the experimental stages - Hydro Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) technology and Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC) technology.

What is HAFC?

Hydro Assist Fuel Cell technology extracts a hydrogen-oxygen mixture from water through ionization using the electricity created by the engine. This hydrogen-oxygen, called Brown’s Gas, is then added to the fuel mixture in the engine before it is burned. This energy rich gas makes the fuel burn far stronger. The savings are realized when you pump less fuel into the engine, since you now get the same amount of burn because of the Brown’s Gas introduced into the system.

The HAFC system also uses several powerful magnets to ionize the gasoline and break it down to smaller molecules that burn more rapidly. Better gasoline plus explosive brown’s gas yields a very potent fuel mixture. It is a more explosive mixture, meaning more power, less greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately uses less fuel.

Early lab tests peg the fuel savings from HAFC at least a minimum of 50%.

What is PICC System?

PICC or Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter system is an experimental fuel improvement system that is in the developmental stage. But this early, it promises to up gas mileage by a potential 5x more.

Right now, all cars have catalytic converters. These are installed in the car’s emission system, and are used for breaking down the large gas molecules un-burnt in your engine, turning them into smaller particles that can be incinerated in the tailpipe before being released into the air.

The PICC is simply the same system - but in reverse. Instead of the fuel being broken down after being used in the engine, the PICC system breaks it down pre-engine use. Gas burns better in vapor form indeed gas will only burn when it is a gas. Break down gas further and theoretically, the fuel will be more explosive, burn easier and more powerfully necessitating less fuel injected into the engine.

The best thing is that these two technologies pay nice with each other, meaning one can be installed side by side. Imagine two technologies that improve your mileage significantly - it could well mean an end America’s dependence on foreign oil.